Reckless
by TheNextFolchart
Summary: Sirius smirked and reached out with a bruised fist to gently punch her shoulder. "You love me, McKinnon."


**Reckless**

* * *

Marlene McKinnon burst through the doors to the Hospital Wing. "Sirius Black, you absolute _moron_!"

From his place in his hospital bed, Sirius struggled to sit up. "I don't want to hear it, McKinnon."

"How _could_ you?"

"I said I don't want to hear it." He rubbed at his forehead, where a large bruise had blossomed.

Marlene crossed to his side in four long strides and smacked his shoulder.

" _Oi!_ "

"You could have _died_!"

He massaged his shoulder, wincing. "But I didn't."

"But you—"

"Look, McKinnon, I'm flattered that you're so worried, but I'm fine. Really." He grinned, revealing two missing teeth.

Marlene let out a breath and sank onto the bed beside his. "You jumped from the balcony of the bloody Quidditch stands in the middle of a game," she said, and he noticed she'd gone paler than usual under her mane of dark hair. "You stood up and _jumped_."

He shrugged. "I saw the Snitch."

"Sirius!" She leaned forward and caught his hand. "Do you hear yourself? Did you even think for one bloody second about the consequences? You didn't have a broom, you were too far below the Snitch to actually _catch_ it, and even if you had caught it, it wouldn't have counted because _you're not on the Quidditch team_!"

Sirius was smirking. "I think Minnie would've allowed it."

Marlene let go of his hand and pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes. "And then on the way down, you were hit by a Bludger . . . _Merlin_. I thought you were dead, Black."

"Not dead." He gave her a thumbs-up. "Broken neck for a bit, but Pomfrey already healed that."

She lifted her head and hastily wiped at her eyes. "You're reckless as hell, you know that?"

"Not reckless. Just excitable."

She laughed, and he didn't miss the way it sounded watery. "Remus Lupin nearly jumped after you."

"He did not."

"He did!"

Sirius grinned. "What about James? Did he swoop over and try to save me?"

"James was going after the Quaffle. He missed the whole thing."

Sirius swore. "I'll have to do it again at the next match."

Marlene's laugh was watery again.

"What about you?" Sirius asked after only a second of hesitation. "Did you almost come after me?"

Marlene snorted. "You may be my best friend, but I'm not going to die for you."

Sirius smirked and reached out with a bruised fist to gently punch her shoulder. "You love me, McKinnon."

Marlene nodded. "I do. I don't know why. All your life-risking is a drain on my sanity."

"Did we at least win the game?"

Another nod. "260-80. You jumped right as the Slytherin Seeker turned toward the stands—I think you traumatized him a bit, because he barely tried after that."

"Good." Sirius leaned back against his pillows with a satisfied smirk on his face. "At least my death would have been worth it."

Marlene rolled her eyes. "You've probably got detention for the rest of the year."

"So? There're only two months left. I've already racked up other detentions for six weeks of it anyway."

Marlene gave a theatrical sigh. "Will I see you at dinner?" she asked. "Or are you confined to the Hospital Wing until they're certain you aren't going to try and kill yourself again?"

"I'll probably be free to go. Pomfrey knows I'm resilient."

"Good." She stood. "Oh, and I should warn you: you've got a line of admirers waiting outside the Hospital Wing."

"Admirers?" Sirius sat up a little straighter.

"I've got no clue why—apparently recklessness is attractive to the fourth-year women of Hogwarts. They're all calling you a hero."

"I _am_ a hero. You said so yourself. I threw the Slytherin Seeker off his game."

Marlene laughed—a genuine, non-watery cackle, contagious enough to make Sirius join in.

"You're a fourth-year woman of Hogwarts," Sirius called as she headed for the door. "Do you find yourself attracted to my reck—my excitability?"

Marlene turned and looked back at him with a fondness in her eyes. "Never." She turned the handle on the Hospital Wing doors. "See you, Black."

"See you, McKinnon."

And as she opened the doors, he caught sight of a group of girls (and Remus Lupin) huddled outside in the corridor, and he smiled slightly at the thought of Marlene.

* * *

 _[Archery Competition: Target 1 - Sirius/Marlene; Hufflepuff Bow- write about strong platonic love]_

 _[Embrace The Major Competition: Anatomy and Physiology - write about an injury]_

 _[Restricted Challenge: Use only one setting]_

 _[The Sims 3 Progression Challenge: Personality trait: excitable]_


End file.
